Archives for October 2010

Logos Bible Software has partnered with the Society of Biblical Literature (SBL) to produce a new, critically edited edition of the Greek New Testament called The Greek New Testament: SBL Edition, abbreviated as SBLGNT and also known as the SBL Greek New Testament.
The SBLGNT is edited by Michael W. Holmes, already well known for his edition and translation of the Apostolic Fathers. For the SBLGNT, he utilized a wide range of printed editions of the Greek New Testament, all the major critical apparatuses, in addition to consulting the latest technical resources and manuscript discoveries as he established the text. The result is a critically edited text that differs from the NA/UBS text in more than 540 variation units.
I’ve had the privilege of being involved since the get-go on this, and it has been a load of fun.Before the details, here are the basics:1. It’s Free From Logos
The SBLGNT is available via SBLGNT.com. You can freely unlock the SBLGNT and its apparatus (!) for Logos Bible Software. The Logos version is fully morphologically tagged, with Louw-Nida reference annotation. The license is generous, and is fairly similar to that of the Lexham English Bible. At present, you can get plain text or XML files for your own personal use.Note for Mac Users: There is an issue with Logos 4.0 for the Mac and the SBLGNT; this issue is known and we will make a service release of Logos 4 Mac available in the next few days to fix the problem. You can still use the resource, the problem is with navigation by book/chapter/verse.2. Available in Print
The SBLGNT will be published in print by the SBL. Copies will be available at the Annual Meeting of the SBL in Atlanta this November and subsequently can be purchased from the SBL web site. Curious to how it will look? Check out this sample of John 1:1–4:15. PDF will be available for download in late November or early December.3. Available on the iPhone, iPad, and Biblia.com
The SBLGNT and its apparatus are or will shortly be available on Biblia.com and also for the Logos iPhone, iPod and iPad app.4. Revised LEB
Hall Harris has revised and updated the Lexham English Bible (LEB) New Testament to be a translation of the SBLGNT. If you are a Logos user, and you have the LEB (which is also freely available if you don’t have it yet), then the update will be available to you as well. If you use Logos 4, the update will come automatically if it hasn’t already. If you have a Logos 4 package that includes a reverse interlinear to the LEB, that will be updated (to reflect the SBLGNT) as well. We hope for this update to be released by the end of this week.5. Free PDF
To make the textual relationship between the SBLGNT and the LEB as transparent as possible for even those who are not Logos users, we’ve produced a PDF version of the Lexham English Bible English-Greek Reverse Interlinear New Testament. Using this material, you can see how different words/clauses/phrases of the SBLGNT were translated by the LEB, in context. This is available on the SBLGNT Download page and scroll down to find it.Now, the details:
You can head to the SBLGNT web site for more detail. Read the Preface and the Introduction to learn more about why and how the SBLGNT was created. And it’s sure to be discussed on the Logos forums, so check there too.
And, if you’re a Logos user, there will be even more SBLGNT-related goodness coming in the next week.The bottom line:
We’re really excited about this new edition of the Greek New Testament. We think it will be useful not only in the context of Logos Bible Software, but also for those studying, analyzing and working with the text of the Greek New Testament on a regular basis.

If you subscribe to Bible Study Magazine, you may have come across a new section in the Nov-Dec ‘10 issue: Bible Study Tips. In this issue, we’re publishing Bible study tips from readers like you.

The vision of Bible Study Magazine is to get people into the Word. We’re not looking for a niche readership. We believe that, given the right tools and methods for Bible study, anyone can be a theologian. This has been our mission since Bible Study Magazine went to press two years ago, and it’s still our goal today. (As a side note, it is our birthday and we do accept cake donations.)

It’s not just the experts that have something valuable to say about Bible study. We’re looking for Bible study tips from anyone who is passionate about studying the Word. That’s where you come in. Contribute a Bible study tip. Join the conversation, and perhaps someone might benefit from your perspective.

How can you weigh in for future issues? It’s simple. Go to our Facebook page and “like” us—if you haven’t already. Then post your Bible study tips on our wall. Tips can be short or long, general or specific.

James Hamrick contributed this tip to the Nov-Dec ’10 issue:

“Write down every verb used for God. The God of Genesis is one who sees, learns, walks, speaks and maybe even wrestles.”

And RC Clyde added this:

“Keep it simple: 1) Get a Bible you can understand. 2) Pray to God before you start. 3) Let God show you His Word; don’t draw your own answer. 4) Find a good commentary.”

Take a moment to consider your own Bible study methods, and then share them with the rest of the Bible Study Magazine community. Join the conversation and help someone else get into the Word.

Today’s guest post is by Kyle Anderson, from the Logos Bible Software electronic text development team.

“Don’t let commentaries rob you of the joy of discovery!”

This little bit of advice from my New Testament professor has really stuck with me, and shaped the way I study the Bible. Rather than simply reaching for one of hundreds of great commentaries out there, I now look for another way. It’s not that my professor was against commentaries and forbade us from using them. Far from it. He simply recognized that studying the Bible should be a thrilling adventure full of twists, turns, detours, and discovery. For the student of Scripture, jumping to a commentary was akin to skipping to the final chapter of a novel: you get the gist of what happened, but you miss out in the process. Instead, the commentary should be a conversation partner that helps balance your own discoveries with someone more experienced than you.

This didn’t mean you could simply open a Bible, read a passage once, and expect to understand it completely. There are occasional obscurities and difficulties that need assistance to resolve before we can reach that place of discovery. To aid us in our discovery, he recommended a whole host of tools to put in our box: lexicons, grammars, apparatuses, and my favorite of the bunch—dictionaries.

My first foray into Logos’ forums was on the day that Logos 4 was released. I was looking to download a particular file but I couldn’t find the download link on Logos’ website. Sure enough, the helpful forum folk provided the link.

I downloaded my software and it started indexing. As I poked around, I realized that, while many things were familiar from Libronix, other things were foreign. I knew I needed help, so I returned to the forum, and I’ve been reading and posting ever since. It’s rewarding to help someone figure out how to leverage Logos to do Bible study. I love imagining people sitting around the world having “Aha!” moments, not just from figuring out how to use Logos’ power but from the discoveries they make as they study God’s word. The forum has become a ministry.

I’ve also reaped great benefits from learning many things from the collective wisdom of forum participants. I wouldn’t know how to use the syntax search with any confidence if not for other gracious forum members teaching me. Logos’ leadership and employees also participate in the forums. My confidence in my e-book investment has grown as I’ve seen them act with grace and wisdom. They really listen to user suggestions; I’ve seen numerous suggestions make their way into Logos 4.

I also love the community on the forums. There are active users from all over the world. I’ve enjoyed learning about different cultures; American, British, and Australian flavors of English are all present, plus many for whom English is a second (or third or fourth or fifth) language. It is a blessing to have a close reminder of the global scope of Christ’s bride.

The most unique cross-cultural experience I’ve had has been helping Ghebreab, an African man living in Germany who uses Logos to prepare for a Bible study. One day, he was having trouble understanding a particular thread on the forum so we started corresponding via email. We then began talking on the telephone and using remote desktop software so I could interact with his computer and show him what I was talking about, step by step. We don’t always understand each other, but I love actually getting to hear the moment when something clicks for Ghebreab, when he grasps how he can use a particular feature of Logos 4 to help him study the Bible and then bring it before his study group. And I get to be a part of it—how cool is that!?

So, in the end, it is not learning how to use Logos, catching the latest news about the company, or running up a ridiculously high post count that keeps me coming back to the forums but the sense of community there, in studying the Bible and helping others. If you don’t use the forum , please stop by and ask your questions and contribute ideas and solutions. I think you’ll find, as I have, that you’ll learn a lot more than how to use your Bible software.

As you know, we live in an instant world: instant coffee, instant oatmeal, instant potatoes! Sometimes, even as we study the Bible, we need instant information. We need a quick definition, a pronunciation of a Greek word, a few cross references and the like. Well, Logos is here to help:

Open an English Bible such as the ESV to a specific passage like Acts 17.16

Choose the Tools menu

Select Information

By default the Information panelopens on the right hand side of the screen

Now rest your cursor on a word like Athens. Notice the data in the Information panel. Now move to the word provoked. More instant information! This panel is available to you wherever you are in the Bible offering previews oftremendous amounts of research. When you need to dig deeper, just click one of the links in the Information panel.

Logos 4 users have been asking for a downloadable version of Grudem’s Systematic Theology for years. Now, we’re pleased to announce that it’s finally available—and it’s 20% off!

Why Grudem?

For years, Grudem has been a steadfast proponent of classic evangelical theology. He has taught at both Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and Phoenix Seminary, and he’s written numerous books and more than sixty articles in both popular and academic journals.

Grudem is also a gifted communicator, which has made his Systematic Theology more accessible and readable than perhaps any other available.

J. I. Packer has written that “if you were hoping to find a theology that seeks your spiritual no less than your intellectual formation, rejoice: Wayne Grudem has written exactly what you wanted.” Numerous other scholars agree—and you can read their thoughts on the Grudem product page.

A Downloadable Version for Logos 4 Users

With a downloadable version of Grudem’s Systematic Theology, you can begin reading and studying it today. Simply add it to your cart, and Logos 4 will begin downloading it automatically.

With the CD-ROM, you had to wait for the disk to ship, install it into Libronix, and then scan your drive to get the resources to work in Logos 4.

That’s a thing of the past. Logos 4 makes downloads easier than ever, which means you can begin reading Grudem’s Systematic Theology today!

Of course, if you’re still using Libronix, you can still get the download.

20% Off!

Even better, you can get Grudem’s Systematic Theology for 20% off. This discount is available on both the CD-ROM and the download. If you’ve been waiting for a downloadable version of Grudem, this is the perfect time to add it to your library!

With around 400 resources currently on the Pre-Pub page, it can be hard to find a path through all the options to what really may interest you. For example, there are several collections with titles like “The Whole/Complete/Exhaustive/Collected Works of _____.” Some of these people are widely read and recognized. Others you may recognize but don’t know much about. Still others may be names that you’ve never heard of.

To keep from being overwhelmed by all the choices, I like to group resources by something they have in common. For those of you who are Anglican, or interested in Anglican history and theology, here are ten sets currently gathering interest or under development. Here they are, arranged chronologically:

Cranmer (1489-1556) was a leader of the English Reformation and was Archbishop of Canterbury when the Church of England separated from the Catholic Church. He is responsible for compiling and writing the Book of Common Prayer.

Hooker’s (1554-1600) writings, especially Of the Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity (in which he tried to find a middle way between Catholicism and Puritanism) were very influential on later Anglicanism as well as political theory.

Lightfoot (1602-1675) was a clergyman and rabbinical scholar who attended the Westminster Assembly. This collection includes his account of the first two years of the assembly, among other writings. He is also the author of A Commentary on the New Testament from the Talmud and Hebraica.

Whitefield (1714-1770) was an evangelist who often paid little attention to sectarian distinctions, but I’ve included him here because he was a lifelong member of the Church of England. This collection includes many of his letters and sermons, as well as five biographical works.

William Wilberforce (1759-1833) is famous for his efforts to abolish the slave trade in the British Empire, but he also worked to reform British morality as a whole by encouraging people to adopt “serious religion.” He wrote this book to that end, as is shown by its full title: A Practical View of the Prevailing Religious System of Professed Christians in the Higher and Middle Classes in this Country, Contrasted with Real Christianity. It was a bestseller.

He famously converted to Catholicism in mid-life (and was recently beatified by the Catholic Church), but Newman (1801-1890) began his public career as an Anglican active in the Oxford Movement. This collection of his writings should be of interest not only to both Catholics and Anglicans, but also those interested in 19th-century English history and lovers of great writing. Excerpts from Newman’s Apologia Pro Vita Sua and The Idea of a University, among other works, have appeared in collections like the Norton Anthology of English Literature.

Ryle (1816-1900) was bishop of Liverpool from 1880 until his death. He was a leader of the evangelical wing of the Church of England, and his writings were influenced by Puritan theology. In turn, his book Holiness: Its Nature, Hindrances, Difficulties and Roots influenced a young J.I. Packer.

Not to be confused with John Lightfoot, J.B. Lightfoot (1828-1889) was bishop of Durham from 1879 until his death. He is known today primarily as a New Testament and patristic scholar. This collection includes lecture notes, commentary manuscripts and sermons which are not included in his other books that are published by Logos.

Hatch (1835-1889) was a Greek scholar and church historian. His Essays in Biblical Greek is shipping next month. This collection focuses on his historical writing, and includes his controversial The Influence of Greek Ideas and Usages Upon the Christian Church.

Finally, I will call your attention to a collection that does not deal exclusively with Anglicanism:

This collection contains some fantastic and informative resources like Anglicanism and the Christian Church: Theological Resources in Historical Perspective by Paul Avis and The Free Church of England: Introduction to an Anglican Tradition by John Fenwick.

If I haven’t mentioned your favorite Anglican resource on Pre-Pub, feel free to mention them in a comment below.

Have you been looking for a strong collection of theology books to add to your digital library? Or perhaps you have been looking for a good entry level bundle to help you develop your theological resources. Well, look no further. The new Foundations of Theology Bundle is not only a great place to begin growing your theological collection, it is a handpicked selection of formidable titles that will add value to your Logos 4 resources.

The Foundations of Theology Bundle compiles the works of heavyweights from across the theological spectrum. The result is a trustworthy collection of biblically rich materials to enrich your study and understanding.

The titles included in the 15 volume Foundations of Theology Bundle include:

One of the most important and widely-used systematic theologies since its release in 1938, Berkhof’s Systematic Theology articulates Reformed theology in the traditions of Abraham Kuyper and Herman Bavinck.

This has been a seminal resource since its release in 1948. Written by Lewis Sperry Chafer, the founding president of Dallas Theological Seminary and long-time editor of Bibliotheca Sacra, this was the first dispensational, premillenial systematic theology ever published.

Written with a clear understanding of the Scriptures and an unpretentious style, Charles Ryrie’s classic Basic Theology is a standard text for many Bible students and pastors. In fact, Ryrie’s theology is required reading for a variety of seminary courses.

In one systematic volume, James Boice provides a readable overview of Christian theology. Whether teacher or student, pastor or layperson, Foundations of the Christian Faith will provide a rich source of Scriptural knowledge, covering all the major doctrines of Christianity. Boice maintains a remarkable practicality and thoroughness that have made this a standard reference and text for over two decades.

Theologian and apologist Norman Geisler has been one of the most prolific and influential leaders in the area of evangelical apologetics. For over forty years he has studied and defended the faith as an author and as an internationally known speaker and debater. He brings vast experience to his magnum opus, the four volumes of Systematic Theology.

These books—purchased separately—would cost nearly $450.00, but the Foundations of Theology Bundle sells them for $299.95. That’s a savings of about $150.00!

If you are just beginning to compile your theological library, or even if you want to add some incredible resources to your deep theological collection, you can’t go wrong with the Foundations of Theology Bundle.

The Logos 4 Mac Giveaway, one of the most exciting giveaways we have ever done, has come to an end. But don’t worry—the party has just started!

To celebrate the shipping of Logos 4 Mac, we are offering a 20% discount on all of our base packages for a limited time! This means that you can get a deep discount on Platinum, our most popular package. And by using our Payment Plan, you can even spread the discounted price over twelve months. You don’t have to be a Mac enthusiast to take advantage of this great deal.

Are you considering an upgrade? Jump over to our upgrade page. You can also get a discount of up to 20% off on base package upgrades.

If you are already using Logos 4 Mac, make sure that you check out our:

Years ago when I used print books, I always had a legal pad on my desk so I could record a list of verses as I studied. I would do all sorts of things with these verses: memorize them, create a handout to distribute to the congregation or class, file them away for future reference and so on. With Logos 4, it’s very easy to create, save, and reopen such a list with a file called the Passage List. Here’s just one way to create a Passage List:

You’ll notice that a Passage List file is created. You can now name the file, select the Bible(s) to be used in the list and so on. Anytime you want to reopen and use the list choose the File menu and click the desired list to open it.

You can create as many Passage Lists as you want. I encourage you to make numerous lists as you study topics such as forgiveness, angels, and so on. Then, when you need to see verses for a particular subject, just return to the File menu.